‘This Is Nuts': Former GOP Rep Slams Gavin Newsom for Hosting Steve Bannon on Podcast
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom for bringing controversial MAGA acolyte Steve Bannon onto his podcast.
Appearing on CNN's Table for Five on Saturday, Kinzinger accused Newsom of opportunism for hosting Bannon—a conspiracy theorist who continues to push the false claim that President Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
'I always thought he was kind of a 'he'll be whatever he needs to be' politician—this is way worse," said Kinzinger, who represented Illinois in the House of Representatives. 'There are many of us that actually—I'm not saying this for sympathy—basically sacrificed a career taking on Steve Bannon. Newsom is trying to build a career.'
Observers have suggested Newsom may be positioning himself to run for president in 2028 by courting the ring wing.
The Republican National Committee censured Kinzinger after he criticized Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. He did not seek reelection in 2022.
The former Illinois congressman argued that Bannon wasn't just a typical political opponent, listing conspiracy theories he has spread, his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection, and his jail sentence for defying a congressional subpoena.
'This is a bad man, and to platform him ... this is nuts,' he said.
On Newsom's podcast, Bannon reiterated his claim that Trump won the 2020 election. Newsom failed to challenge Bannon's assertion and instead praised him for his efforts to get Trump back into office.
'I appreciate the notion of agency, that we're not bystanders in the world, it's decisions not conditions that determine our fate and future,' he said.
Newsom had previously faced backlash from progressives after breaking ranks on transgender rights and hosting another MAGA firebrand, Charlie Kirk, on his podcast.
Challenged by Kirk on trans athletes participating in women's sports, Newsom said, 'I completely agree with you on that. It's deeply unfair.'
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Yahoo
an hour ago
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Most Vulnerable Senate Seat Just Became a Lot More Vulnerable
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But … Since 2008 Republicans have been fortunate to have only a handful of really bad election years. 2018 was the only "wave"-like environment weve witnessed, with 2012 and 2020 standing more as "not great" years for the GOP. The 2022 elections were disappointing, but Republicans still won the popular vote for Congress by 3 points. Through the vagaries of the calendar, Republicans have only defended one Senate seat in the state in a "bad" or "not great" year for the GOP since 2008: Thom Tillis win in 2020. Tillis won that seat by 1.5 percentage points after it came out that his opponent had (at the very least) exchanged sexually explicit texts with a woman who wasnt his wife. The other Senate races have all occurred in favorable environments for the GOP: 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2022. Of these, 2010 was the only big win for the Republicans. 2016 was a 6-point win for Sen. Richard Burr, while 2014 and 2022 were low-single digit affairs. Not only that, but North Carolina has quietly been moving away from Republicans over the past few decades. The state was 3.5 percentage points more Republican than the country as a whole in 2008. By 2020 it shifted to just under 3 points more Republican than the country as a whole. COVID brought an influx of New Yorkers to the state, particularly the Research Triangle Park area; the state was less than a point more Republican than the country overall in 2024. That would still be enough for a normal Republican to win against a normal Democrat in a neutral year (again, it isnt clear that we will see either a normal Republican or a normal Democrat this year). But 2026 isnt shaping up to be a neutral year. To be clear, people badly underestimate how popular Trump is right now - his job approval is just 4 percentage points underwater in the RealClearPolitics Average - but thats still enough to create an unfavorable environment in a swing state. Of course, theres also a lot of time between now and November. We dont know if Cooper will get in, much less whether Jackson will get in. For now, this seat goes from being vulnerable for Republicans to extremely vulnerable. Sean Trende is senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics. He is a co-author of the 2014 Almanac of American Politics and author of The Lost Majority. He can be reached at strende@ Follow him on Twitter @SeanTrende.
